Bengals coach Zac Taylor: ‘We can beat anybody in the league’

The Bengals have won three straight and seven of their last nine games going into a Week 13 matchup with another top AFC foe as Cincinnati (7-4) hosts Kansas City (9-2) on Sunday. The Chiefs are the top team in the conference, but the Bengals were the underdogs last year as well when they beat Tennessee and Kansas City to win the AFC championship.

Cincinnati is starting to look a lot like that team.

“It’s the belief we have in ourselves, and again, we don’t need motivation going into any of these games,” Taylor said Monday. “You guys know what the narrative is, that our schedule is difficult. We don’t really care about that. At the end of the day, as long as we put in the work, we know we’ve got the right people in the building.

“We can play anybody in the league and we can beat anybody in the league. It doesn’t mean that we can take a day off and go into a game assuming we’re the best team. I’m not saying any of that. But we know that we’ve got everything it takes to be a successful team in the league. And so that’s really where the statement comes from is yeah, we’re gonna play great teams but we’re a great team also.”

Wide receiver Tyler Boyd said Taylor’s message was well-received in the locker room because the Bengals are playing with a lot of confidence now.

Sunday’s win – another game where the Bengals executed at the end of a close game – showed what it takes to be a great team, Boyd said.

“I think we’re just a great football team and when it comes down to the crucial moment, we know what it takes,” he said. “We know what it feels like to be in critical moments. We know what it feels like to be backed up, and we prepare so well and the coaches always put us in great positions to just excel and win the game.”

Taylor described the win Sunday as “a great team win,” one that felt like each player did his job to contribute. He gave game balls to the entire team because of that.

The Bengals limited NFL rushing leader Derrick Henry to 38 yards on 17 carries and held the Titans to a pair of field goals in the second half. Joe Burrow connected with Tee Higgins on a 27-yard touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter to give the Bengals the lead for good. The offensive line opened holes for a Joe Mixon-less running game and allowed just one sack on Burrow.

“Just felt like yesterday we were going to need everybody in every different way, and just really felt walking off the field that everybody had stepped up and done their job,” Taylor said. “It’s not sexy statistically, there’s nothing that’s just crazy about the game. It was just a great team win on the road against a team that we’ve got a lot of respect for. I just felt like everybody was deserving of that.”

Credit: Gerald Herbert

Credit: Gerald Herbert

Taylor said Mixon remains in concussion protocol this week but is “progressing.” It also looks like Ja’Marr Chase will likely play this week after he was held out of Sunday’s game at Tennessee seemingly as a precaution after being limited in his first practices since fracturing his hip.

NFL Network national insider Ian Rapoport reported Monday the plan is for Chase to play Sunday, but Taylor said the Bengals will see where he’s at Wednesday (the first practice of the week) before making any decisions.

“I think it’s more just he was off of it for four weeks,” Taylor said about the decision not to play him at Tennessee. “Last week allowed him to get on the grass and run and run routes and so now not playing him in the game. He could have had the contract I think, but it was really good to get him a week of back into football mode and now next week, again, take it day to day and see where he’s at, and I think we’ll all feel better about a guy coming off an injury who’s actually had a week of practice because that’s what you get to do with those IR guys oftentimes. … I feel like we handled this the right way.”

SUNDAY’S GAME

Chiefs at Bengals, 4:25 p.m., Ch. 7, 12; 700, 1530, 102.7, 104.7